“The itching hand“– important differential diagnoses and treatment

Abstract

SummarySkin diseases affecting the hands receive particular individual attention and constitute a considerable emotional burden. Many dermatoses also present with itching of the hands. Itch is often underestimated when it occurs in a comparably limited body area such as the hands. The high occupational significance of the hands in many professions must, nevertheless, be stressed. One of the most frequent diagnoses in itching of the hands is eczema. In the differential diagnosis, less common diseases such as neurological and systemic diseases and adverse drug reactions must also be taken into consideration. Itching of the hands can also be accompanied by other sensations, such as burning, stinging and pain. A thorough history regarding sensations and dysesthesias already allows for a diagnostic classification of the disease in some cases. Itching of the hands requires a careful and thorough diagnostic approach. This forms the basis of a specific and successful therapy which may be adapted stepwise, depending on the underlying cause, and also may require, in addition to causal therapy, symptomatic antipruritic therapy. Therapy should follow the current guidelines for chronic pruritus and hand eczema. This article reviews over the differential diagnosis and therapy of "itching hands".

Impact on quality of life of alitretinoin in severe chronic hand eczema: FUGETTA real‐world study

“…Severe CHE is of great sociomedical and health‐economic relevance, presenting a major therapeutic challenge, due to its etiologic and morphologic variability . In addition to the clinical diagnosis, recording the impact of CHE on occupational and personal QoL for the individual patient should be a standard aspect in assessing disease severity, as has already been established as standard practice in other dermatologic conditions .…”

Itching in Patients with Chronic Hand Eczema: Data from the CARPE Registry

“…Patients with CHE complain about a variety of symptoms such as itching, burning, stinging and pain. Often itching is the dominating symptom, but other dermatoses and diseases may also present with itching of the hands, requiring a precise diagnostic procedure of this symptom [3]. However, little is known about factors associated with the occurrence and severity of itching in CHE.…”

Hand eczema among Dutch beekeepers – a cross‐sectional study

“…This suggests that the self‐reported one‐year prevalence of hand eczema probably underestimates the true prevalence, suggesting that the real prevalence could be even higher. However, some false‐positive answers might have been given to the self‐assessment question in case of psoriasis, pustulosis palmoplantaris, or tinea infections .…”